Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

As the prospect of a Sinn Féin-led Government becomes more realistic with every passing day, what role would Mairéad Farrell have – if any – in a Cabinet headed by Mary Lou McDonald?

Gender and geography will always be factors in any Cabinet appointments, and the Galway West TD scores highly on both fronts.

As luck would have it, as well as being a woman from the West, Farrell has proven to be quite competent as shadow Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, too.

The Mervue-based TD who is the main opposition spokesperson in the financial brief, has had several opportunities to shine during the latest Dáil term.

She’s done a decent job ‘marking’ the Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, during Dáil exchanges. No knock-out blows but consistently holding him to account.

And, judging by how regular her media appearances have been of late, on national radio and television, she’s viewed as palatable and as a safe pair of hands to go out and bat for the party.

Her recent outings on Prime Time, and RTÉ Radio One’s Late Debate political programme have been solid rather than spectacular, but she’s improving all the time. Even more so on Irish language media, RnaG and TG4.

Pearse Doherty will want the main finance portfolio in any Government that’s dominated by the Shinners. And heavy hitters and media savvy operators like Eoin Ó Broin and Louise O’Reilly will have expectations of high office too. Surely Mairéad Farrell would be high up Mary Lou’s list of those in line for promotion to cabinet – if she’s re-elected, of course, and especially so if she brings in a running-mate, a distinct possibility on Sinn Fein’s current poll ratings.

Galway West is a constituency that holds the largest Gaeltacht in the country and has a history of Gaeltacht Ministers.

Mairéad Farrell’s fluency and interest in the Irish language means she’d be an obvious choice for that role if the Shinners deliver on the opinion polls.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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